- It is our pleasure to see so many of you here. We are indebted to the North Carolina Boys Choir under the direction of Mr. Bill Graham And to the Community Christmas Eve Choir under the direction of Mr. Ben Smith for their contribution for our music this evening. And now let us prepare ourselves for this time of worship in a moment of prayer. Our kind and gracious God, we await with baited breath, the appearance of the true light which will shine this holy night. Grant that here on earth we may walk in the light of Jesus' presence and in the last day, wake to the brightness of his glory, through your only son, Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever, amen. (classical pipe organ music) (classical harp music) (classical pipe organ music) (classical harp music) (classical pipe organ music) (classical harp music) ♪ Once in royal David's city ♪ ♪ Stood a lowly cattle shed ♪ ♪ Where a mother laid her baby ♪ ♪ In a manger for His bed ♪ ♪ Mary was that mother mild ♪ ♪ Jesus Christ her little child ♪ ♪ He came down to earth from heaven ♪ ♪ Who is God and Lord of all, ♪ ♪ And His shelter was a stable ♪ ♪ And His cradle was a stall ♪ ♪ With the poor, and mean, and lowly ♪ ♪ Lived on earth our Savior holy ♪ ♪ And through all His wondrous childhood ♪ ♪ He would honor and obey ♪ ♪ Love and watch the lowly maiden ♪ ♪ In whose gentle arms He lay ♪ ♪ Little children all must be ♪ ♪ Mild, obedient, good as He ♪ ♪ For he is our childhood's pattern ♪ ♪ Day by day, like us He grew ♪ ♪ He was little, weak and helpless ♪ ♪ Tears and smiles like us He knew ♪ ♪ And He feeleth for our sadness ♪ ♪ And He shareth in our gladness ♪ ♪ And our eyes at last shall see Him ♪ ♪ Through His own redeeming love ♪ ♪ For that Child so dear and gentle ♪ ♪ Is our Lord in heaven above ♪ ♪ And He leads His children on ♪ ♪ To the place where He is gone ♪ ♪ Not in that poor lowly stable ♪ ♪ With the oxen standing by ♪ ♪ We shall see Him but in heaven ♪ ♪ Set at God's right hand on high ♪ ♪ Where like stars His children crowned ♪ ♪ All in white shall wait around ♪ 

- Beloved in Christ, be it this Christmas Eve, our care and delight to prepare ourselves to hear again the message of the angels, in heart and mind to go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass. And with the Magi, adore the child lying in his mother's arms. Let us read Mark, the holy scripture, the tale of the loving purposes of God, from the first days of our disobedience unto the glorious redemption brought us by this holy child. And let us make this chapel glad with our carols of praise. But first, let us pray for the needs of His whole world, for peace and goodwill all over the earth, for unity and harmony within the church He came to build. Let us pray. Be seated. Let us at this time remember in his name, the poor and the helpless, the cold, the hungry and the oppressed; the sick in body and in mind and them that mourn; the lonely and the unloved, the aged and the little children and all who know not the Lord Jesus. Lastly, let us remember before God, all those who rejoice with us but upon another shore and in a greater light, that multitude which no one can number, whose hope was in the word made flesh and with whom in this Lord Jesus we forevermore are one. These prayers and praises let us humbly offer up to the throne of heaven, in the words which Christ himself hath taught us. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever, amen. May Almighty God bless us with his grace, Christ give us the joys of everlasting life and under the fellowship of the citizens above may the King of Angels bring us all, amen. ♪ Oh, holy night, the stars are brightly shining ♪ ♪ It is the night of the dear Savior's birth ♪ ♪ Long lay the world in sin and error pining ♪ ♪ Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth ♪ ♪ A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices ♪ ♪ For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn ♪ ♪ Fall on your knees ♪ ♪ Oh, hear the angel voices ♪ ♪ Oh, night divine ♪ ♪ Oh, night when Christ was born ♪ ♪ Oh, night divine ♪ ♪ Oh night, oh night divine ♪ ♪ Led by the light of faith serenely beaming ♪ ♪ With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand ♪ ♪ So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming ♪ ♪ Here came the Wise Men from Orient land ♪ ♪ The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger ♪ ♪ In all our trials born to be our friend ♪ ♪ He knows our need ♪ ♪ To our weakness is no stranger ♪ ♪ Behold your King ♪ ♪ Before Him lowly bend ♪ ♪ Behold your King ♪ ♪ Before Him lowly bend ♪ ♪ He knows our need ♪ ♪ To our weakness is no stranger ♪ ♪ Behold your King ♪ ♪ Before Him lowly bend ♪ ♪ Behold your King ♪ ♪ Before Him lowly bend ♪ 

- God tells sinful Adam that he has lost the life of paradise and his seed will bruise the serpent's head. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him, where art thou? And he said, I heard Thy voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself. And God said, who told thee that thou was naked? Has thou eaten of the tree where at I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat? And the man said, the woman whom Thou hast gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, what is this that thou has done? And the woman said, the serpent beguiled me and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the serpent, because thou has done this, thou art cursed above all cattle and above every beast of the field. Upon thy belly thou shall go and dust shall thou eat all the days of thy life. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and your seed. It shall bruise thy head and thou shall bruise his heel. And unto Adam he said, because thou has hearkened unto the voice of thy wife and has eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee saying, thou shalt not eat of it, cursed is the ground for thy sake. In sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee. And thou shall eat the herd of the field. In the sweat of thy face, thou shall eat bread, till thou return to the ground. For out of it, once thou taken, for dust thou art and into dust shalt thou return. Thanks be to God. ♪ Hark, the herald angels sing ♪ ♪ Glory to the newborn King ♪ ♪ Peace on earth, and mercy mild ♪ ♪ God and sinners reconciled ♪ ♪ Joyful, all ye nations, rise ♪ ♪ Join the triumph of the skies ♪ ♪ With the angelic host proclaim ♪ ♪ Christ is born in Bethlehem ♪ ♪ Hark, the herald angels sing ♪ ♪ Glory to the newborn King ♪ ♪ Christ, by highest heaven adored ♪ ♪ Christ, the everlasting Lord ♪ ♪ Late in time behold him come ♪ ♪ Offspring of the Virgin's womb ♪ ♪ Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see ♪ ♪ Hail, incarnate Deity ♪ ♪ Pleased, as man, with men to dwell ♪ ♪ Jesus, our Emmanuel ♪ ♪ Hark, the herald angels sing ♪ ♪ Glory to the newborn King ♪ ♪ Hail, the heaven-born Prince of peace ♪ ♪ Hail, the Son of Righteousness ♪ ♪ Light and life to all he brings ♪ ♪ Risen with healing in his wings ♪ ♪ Mild he lays his glory by ♪ ♪ Born that man no more may die ♪ ♪ Born to raise the son of earth ♪ ♪ Born to give them second birth ♪ ♪ Hark, the herald angels sing ♪ ♪ Glory to the new-born King ♪ 

- God promises to faithful Abraham that in his seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time and said, by thyself have I sworn, sayeth the Lord. For because thou has done this thing and has not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying, I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the seashore. And thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voice. Thanks be to God. ♪ It came upon the midnight clear ♪ ♪ That glorious song of old ♪ ♪ From angels bending near the earth ♪ ♪ To touch their harps of gold ♪ ♪ Peace on the earth, goodwill to men ♪ ♪ From heaven's all gracious King ♪ ♪ The world in solemn stillness lay ♪ ♪ To hear the angels sing ♪ ♪ Still through the cloven skies they come ♪ ♪ With peaceful wings unfurled ♪ ♪ And still their heavenly music floats ♪ ♪ O'er all the weary world ♪ ♪ Above its sad and lowly plains ♪ ♪ They bend on hovering wing ♪ ♪ And ever o'er its Babel sounds ♪ ♪ The blessed angels sing ♪ ♪ For lo, the days are hastening on ♪ ♪ By prophets seen of old ♪ ♪ When with the ever-circling years ♪ ♪ Shall come the time foretold ♪ ♪ When the new heaven and earth shall own ♪ ♪ The Prince of Peace, their King ♪ ♪ And the whole world send back the song ♪ ♪ Which now the angels sing ♪ 

- The peace that Christ will bring is foreshown.